Scientists Use Genes to Make Organs in the Lab

For the first time in history, scientists have been able to fully restore a degenerated organ in a living animal using genetic engineering, according to a recent study.

The study, which was published in the scientific journal Development, details how a research team from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom successfully restored a degenerated organ in ageing mice.

According to the study, the MRC team was able to restore the thymus -- a glandular structure that creates T-cells for the body's immune system -- by genetically reactivating a natural series of cells that "turn off" as we age.

The cells in question are immature cells associated with organ formation and cell growth. It is theorized that these cells, which are similar to stem cells, shut off as animals age in order to avoid complications (IE-cancer) of out-of-control cell growth.

Past research has shown researcher that as we age, cell growth begins to get outpaced by cell degradation, resulting in the gradual degradation of entire organs and eventually results in death. This sort of degradation is the cause of natural ageing and natural death, where mobility, cognitive ability, and energy management grow more difficult in advancing years.

According to the authors of the study, the thymus is one of the first organs to suffer from degradation, proving less and less effective at aiding the immune system. This is one of many reasons why the elderly are traditionally more susceptible to illness.

However, according to the study, the MRC researcher were able to used chemical signals to increase the presence of FOXN1 -- a protein that helps control how genes in the thymus are activated -- in-turn instructing the immature cells in the thymus to "turn on." Once on, these remarkable cells were able to reconstruct an aged and degraded thymus back into perfect shape.

The authors of the study write that one day they hope to see if the same process is applicable in humans, helping improve thymus function -- and thus immune system efficiency -- in elderly patients. However, much more research will need to be conducted first to ensure that the aforementioned process can be controlled and made perfectly safe.

The study was published in the April issue of Development.